Pilot armreach and cockpit control locator machine

ABSTRACT

Test apparatus for determining the capability of a pilot, while suited, helmeted and restrained in an aircraft cockpit seat, to reach, grasp and manipulate a control knob located at various angular distances and knob heights above floor level. The apparatus consists basically in a seat and support therefor, a deck simulating the floor of the aircraft cockpit, and a knobmounted vertical member having a series of vertically-aligned knobs located at preselected heights, and being quickly adjusted to preselected angular positions.

United States Patent Alexander et al.

1 51 Sept. 26, 1972 PILOT ARMREACH AND COCKPIT CONTROL LOCATOR MACHINEInventors: Milton Alexander, Fairborn; John W. Garrett, Bellbrook; RalphR. Riepenhoff, Dayton, all of Ohio Assignee: The United States ofAmerica as represented by the Secretary of the United States Air ForceFiled: July 7, 1971 Appl. No.1 161,361

US. Cl ..35/l2 F, 33/174 D Int. Cl. ..G09b 9/08 Field of Search ..35/12R, 12 C, 12 D, 12 F, 35/12 H, 12 P, 12 W, 22 R, 29 R, 11; 33/174 D;73/379 R, 432 AD; 272/57 A; 128/25 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,865,828 7/l932 Buckley..35/1 2 P 2,341,678 2/1944 Wickes ..35/l2 D Primary Examiner-Wm. H.Grieb Attorney-Harry A. Herbert, Jr. et al.

[5 7 ABSTRACT Test apparatus for determining the capability of a pilot,while suited, helmeted and restrained in an aircraft cockpit seat, toreach, grasp and manipulate a control knob located at various angulardistances and knob heights above floor level. The apparatus consistsbasically in a seat and support therefor, a deck simulating the floor ofthe aircraft cockpit, and a knobmounted vertical member having a seriesof verticallyaligned knobs located at preselected heights, and beingquickly adjusted to preselected angular positions.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PILOT ARMREACII AND COCKPIT CONTROL LOCATORMACHINE 1 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to animproved method and test apparatus for measuring the ability of a pilot,while strapped in an aircraft cockpit seat, to reach, grasp andsatisfactorily operate various control knobs located on the instrumentpanel and at different positions within the cockpit.

Many anthropological studies have been made to determine the facilitywith which man has been able to reach, grasp and actuate variouscontrols. Such studies have proven useful generally in the design ofaircraft cockpits and, in particular, for the location of variousinstruments, engine and aerodynamic controls. In this connection,however, there has been a dearth of published data involving the actualarm reach capability particularly on a satisfactory sample of personnelwearing and therefore being hampered by flight equipment in actualcockpit situations. This lack of such information presents considerabledifficulty to the aircraft designer who must add or substract selectedincrements from a minimum of available data in order to accommodate asuited, helmeted, harnessed and restricted pilot. Personal equipmentadds still further to the design problem.

In addition to the above-mentioned difficulties, the design problem isfurther made more complex as aircraft have grown much more complicatedto further increase the bulk of the personal equipment to be more wornby the pilot. Thus, as the hostile world of high G forces was entered,initially, the G-suit and oxygen maskera ensued which, in turn, wasfollowed by the current potential requirement for the full-pressure suitpiloted aircraft systems. The use of such a fullpressure suit,obviously, greatly increases the gross area occupied by the wearer andalso considerably reduces shoulder mobility and hand dexterity.

Adding still further to the difficulties outlined above, is the factthat the pilot does not sit freely in the cockpit, but, in addition tobeing encumbered by his clothing, is placed under the additionalrestraint of the requirement of wearing a seat belt, a shoulder harness,a parachute harness and, for all flights over water, an underarm lifepreserver. Naturally, these items must be considered when collecting orapplying arm reach data to cockpit design.

The aforementioned arm reach data has now been obtained in a veryreliable and yet unique and simplified manner by the use of the improvedarm reach test apparatus and method of the present invention, whichapparatus will be hereinafter disclosed in the following summary anddetailed description thereof.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention consists briefly ina novel pilot armreach capability-measuring apparatus including a mainsupport frame having a deck plate representing the floor of a cockpit,an adjustably positioned seat, an

Additional advantages, as well as certain objects of the invention willbecome readily apparent from the following disclosure thereof, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings; in which;

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 respectivelyrepresent top, side and back views of the improved armreach testapparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a partly schematic and relatively enlarged view of the uniquecontrol knob-mounted member of the test apparatus of FIGS. l-3;

FIG. 5 is another, partly schematic and composite plan view,illustrative of a test subject, attired in lightweight flight coverallswith accessary equipment and shoulder harness unlocked, and while seatedin the inventive test apparatus of FIGS. 1-3, shown reaching with hisright hand to grasp and manipulate the lowermost rotary knob mounted onthe knob-mounted member of FIG. 4, which member is further schematicallydepicted as being located at various right-arm angular positionsrelative to the center line or 0 position; and

FIG. 5a is still another, partly schematic and composite plan view, asin FIG. 5, illustrating the test subject thereof reaching with his lefthand to grasp and manipulate the lowermost rotary knob positioned on theinventive knob mounted member, the latter again being further depictedin various angular positions relative to the center line or 0 position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 of thedrawings, it is clearly seen that the novel test apparatus of thepresent invention, indicated generally at the reference numeral 10,consists principally of three main parts; namely, the supporting frameassembly at 11, the seat assembly at 12, and the pilot arm reachcapability-measuring assembly, indicated generally at 13. The supportingframe assembly 11 includes a base member portion or deck plate 14 thatmay represent the floor of an aircraft cockpit, a main, substantiallyupright supporting frame portion, indicated generally at 15, andconsisting of a pair of parallel and spaced-apart, identical supportingframe members 15a and 15b (See FIG. 3) reinforced by cross-braces at 16and 17, and a horizontally disposed overhead member-portion, indicatedat 18, that is affixed at one end thereof to, and is thereby rigidlysupported by, the upper ends of the supporting frame members 15a, 15b. Apair of supporting beams, one of which is depicted at 19 in FIG. 2, maybe utilized, as shown, between the frame members 15a and 15b, and theoverhead member-portion 18 to provide reinforcement to the latterelement.

The aforementioned seat assembly 12 consists mainly of a seat pan 20 anda back rest 21 that may be adjustably supported on a pair ofspaced-apart and parallel seat rails, one of which being depicted at 22in FIG. 2, which seat rails, and therefore the back rest 21, extendupwardly at a 13 angle to the rear of the vertical, and between the deckplate 14 and the horizontal overhead member-portion 18. The aft 5.75inches of the seat pan 20 is made horizontal and the forward sectionthereof is inclined upwardly at a angle. In this regard, for the purposeof achieving the same standards in testing a number of representativesubjects while using the inventive test apparatus 10, a seat referencepoint (SRP), located at the intersection between the seat pan portion 20and the seat back portion 21 is utilized. This seat reference point isset at a nominal or neutral point of 8.5 inches above the deck plate 14.

ment lever is provided, as shown at 24 in FIG. 2. The

eye-height adjustment lever 24 is fixed at the aforementioned standard39.5 inches above the deck plate 14 and, for each test subject, the seatassembly 12 is adjustable an appropriate distance upwardly or downwardlyfrom the neutral 8.5 inch point, by means of the adjustment means at 23,until his eye level is directly aligned with the lever 24. As referredhereinbefore, this adjustment may extend up to 2.5 inches up or downfrom the neutral 8.5 inch point. The said adjustment lever 24 may beswingably or pivotally mounted, for example, by common hinge or othermeans (not shown) to the left supporting frame member 15a (FIG. 3), forexample, for positioning between the outer, eyeheight-testing positionof FIG. 2 and a retracted, outof-the-way position, as desired. A simplescale (not shown) may be provided on one or the other seat-rail members,as at 22, or both, if desired, to indicate the exact vertical positionrequired on each test subject to achieve the 39.5 inch eye height forfuture reference. Of course, as the eye height of each subject isadjusted to the aforesaid 39.5 inches, the required upward or downwardmovement of the seat assembly 12 on the seat rails 22 to achieve thisresult will naturally move the seat and seat reference point (SRP)backward or forward relative to the position of the principal or mainknob-mounted, vertical member 33 of the previously referred to uniquepilot arm reach capability-measuringassembly 13 to be hereinafterdescribed in detail. To compensate for this difference in the initial,inherent arm reach distance formed between the aforesaid knob-mountedmember 33 and different test subjects, resulting from the preliminaryrequirement to adjust each to an eye level height of 39.5 inches abovethe deck plate 14, it is only necessary to adjust the position of thesaid knob-mounted member 33, relative to its scale, an amount forward orrearward equal to the forward or rearward movement of the seat referencepoint. The exact amount of the latter movement may be easily andautomatically determined by the provision of an appropriate scale (notshown) formed on one or the other of the seat rails, as at 22, asdesired.

The unique pilot arm reach capability-measuring assembly 13 of thepresent invention preferably consists of a turn-table 25 that may bemounted, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, to the top surface of the horizontal,overhead member-portion 18 adjacent the outer edge thereof. Rigidlyaffixed, as by the first attachment means at 28 (FIG. 1), may berespective inner ends of a pair of identical, horizontal and parallelrail members at 26 and 27. The latter elements 26, 27 terminate at outerends that may be interconnected by a second attachment means at 29. Apair of supporting brace members at 311 and 31 may also be rigidlyattached at the inner ends thereof to the turn-table 25 by theattachment means at 30a and 310, which may actually constitute uprightsupports, as seen at 30a in FIG. 2, for the said inner ends of saidbrace members 30 and 31. The latter elements 30, 31 substantiallyconverge to, and terminate in, outer ends that may be rigidly attachedto the previously referred to second attachment means 29 that alsoprovides the attachment for the outer ends of the horizontal railmembers 26 and 27, as has been previously explained. Said brace members30 and 31 may each be further bearing supported, as seen for example, atthe bearing support means 32 for the member 30 in FIG. 2, for therebyproviding very rigid and strong support to the rail members 26, 27.

Adjustably, or slidably, positioned on the abovedescribed pair ofhorizontal rail members 30 and 31 is the unique and previouslymentioned, vertical knobmounted member, indicated generally at 33. Forthis purpose, the member 33 may be affixed at its upper end to, orwithin, a hollow-type, interconnecting, element at 34, the opening ofwhich element 34 being constructed with a suitable configuration so asto be preferably slidably mounted in substantially snug-fit andpositive-supporting relation on the aforementioned pair of rail members26 and 27, as is clearly visible in FIG. 1, for example. To themid-point of the said slidably-mounted, interconnecting element 34 andin direct alignment with, and forming a natural vertical extension of,the longitudinal axis of the knob-mounted member 33 is a pointer orscale-indicator marker at 35, which market 35 indicates, on the main,arm reachdetermining or measuring scaled elements at 36, the exactdistances at which a particular test subject, seated in the seatassembly 12 and strapped therein by both lap belt at 37 and shoulderstraps at 38 (FIG. 2), is able to reach, grasp and manipulate variouscontrol knobs at various preselected angular positions, in the specificmanner to be hereinafter further described in connection with FIGS. 4, 5and 5a.

Again referring to FIG. 2, another important feature of the present testapparatus resides in the provision of an overhead reach scale at 39,which scale 39 is mounted, as shown, to the bottom of the overheadmember-portion 18 to extend horizontally, and in overlapping and outwardrelation therefrom. An auxiliary,

' secondary or supplementary pilot arm reach-measuring, rotary knob at40 may be adjustably mounted on the relatively short vertical anddepending standard member 41. With the use of the aforesaid rotary knob40, the ability of each of the several test subjects employed in theapplication of the present test apparatus 111 to reach, grasp andactuate controls that may be installed in the aircraft cockpit directlyor substantially directly overhead may be quickly determined andrecorded. To this end, the rotary knob 40 may be utilized as acontinuation of tests run on the main, or primary, knob-mounted member33 when the latter has been adjusted the maximum extent inwardly towardsthe subject to a position where it contacts, and is stopped by, the seatpan 20 (FIG. 2). To provide for the measurement of the overhead armreach-capability, of the said test subjects, the auxiliary knob-mounted,standard member 41 may incorporate in its surface a total of threenotches for respective engagement with, and thereby providing threepositions of vertical adjustment to the rotary knob 40. Of course,horizontal adjustment of the member 40 may be provided by the means at42 which is slidably positioned on the scale 39. These three positionsof adjustment are at the same heights as are the top three control knobs7, 8 and 9 on the knobmounted member 33.

The aforementioned main or primary knob-mounted member 33 is shown inmore detail in the schematic view of FIG. 4, as incorporating aplurality of rotary knobs respectively indicated at the referencenumerals 1-9, inclusive, which knobs simulate controls that may bepositioned on an aircraft instrument panel, or otherwise placed by thedesign engineer in the aircraft cockpit area for actuation by the pilot.The control knobs 1-9 may be vertically disposed relative to each other,at the varying heights indicated in the figure, beginning with thelowermost control knob No. l, at a height of 6 inches, to the uppermostcontrol knob No. 9 at a height of 63 inches. These heights are measuredabove the previously described deck plate 14 (FIG. 2).

In applying the inventive test apparatus to determine the properlocation of various instrument and aircraft controls to be placed in thecockpit of an aircraft of a particular design, the arm reachcapabilities of a total of 17 subjects, all volunteer Air Forcepersonnel, were tested and the data resulting therefrom recorded forfuture use by the aircraft design engineer. These 17 test subjects wereso selected as to be as nearly representative as possible of pilots ofvarious sizes in the U.S. Air Force. For this purpose, the AnthropologyBranch of the Air Forces Aerospace Medical Laboratory previouslycompiled two separate tables comprising a standard 12-size height-weightchart for use when the standard Air Force K2B lightweight flightcoveralls are to be worn, and a standard eight-size height-weight chartto be utilized when the full-pressure suit is to be worn. The 12-sizeheight-weight chart incorporates individuals varying from thesmall-short size of between 63-659 inches in height and 125-149 pounds,to the extra large-long size of between 73.5-76.5 inches in height and200-224 pounds. The eight-size heightweight chart is directed toindividuals varying from the small-regular size of between 63.0-67.5inches in height and 125-149 pounds, to the extra large-long size of aheight between 72.0-76.5 inches and a weight of 200-224 pounds.

Before summarizing representative examples of the test results obtainedwith use of the present test apparatus 10, it is well to note that thesmallest man does not necessarily have the shortest arm reach, nor,conversely, does the largest man necessarily have the greatest armreach. In fact, of the first l5 knob positions for which design criteriawas found and recorded, the minimum reach was accomplished by one of thesmaller subjects only four times and the maximum value was obtained byone of the biggest subjects only three times. Various reasons for thisanomaly include, among others, relative ease of joint mobility, degreeof muscular development, and relative amount of fat deposition.Therefore, the design criteria determined during the present tests havenot been based on the reaching capabilities of the smallest man but,instead, have been based on the shortest arm reach capability within thepopulation of test subjects. Thus, the actual design values found andselected, would be the minimum values recorded within the entire sample,rounded off to the nearest inch. In this regard, where two or moresubjects failed to reach, grasp and actuate a particular control knob,the placement of any control at that location would not be recommended.

The test apparatus 10 has been utilized to test the arm reachcapabilities of the previously-mentioned preselected 17 subjects in aseries of substantially identical tests, during which each of thesubjects selected was alternately clothed in lightweight flightcoveralls, and the full-pressure suit, in addition to wearing certainaccessary equipment. In an initial series of tests involving the wearingof the aforesaid lightweight flight coveralls, each test subject, suchas that indicated at 43 in FIGS. 5 and 5a, is strapped in the seatassembly 12 of the inventive test apparatus 10, after having donned apair of light flying gloves, an underarm life preserver, and a back-typeparachute harness. The subjects horizontal line of vision is thenadjusted to a height of 39.5 inches above the deck plate 14 and, in thisinitial series of tests, his shoulder harness 38 is placed in itsunlocked condition, allowing up to 12 inches of relatively free travelat the discretion of the wearer. Thereafter, the test subject 43attempts to reach, grasp and actuate the previously referred to controlknobs 1-9, inclusive, in the following sequence of reach procedure,established for the purpose of the present tests. Initially, the rightarm and hand are used in an effort to reach, grasp and actuate theaforementioned control knobs 1-9, with the knob-mounted member 33 beingsuccessively rotated to each of five different locations, schematicallydepicted in FIG. 5 as position Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The latterpositions are respectively at 60, and 30 to the right of center, or 0position No. 4, and at 30 to the left of center, the latter positionconstituting the right-arm cross-over position. To successfully actuateeach control knob, it has been established that the latter must beturned through at least a 90 arc. Of course, the novel and yetsimplified apparatus 10 of the present invention greatly facilitates therest procedure, since the knob-mounted member 33 is quite easily rotatedto the various preselected angular positions of 90, 60, 30 and 0 merelyby the manual manipulation of the turn-table 25 (FIG. 1) to whichturn-table the said knob-mounted member 33 is mounted, as was previouslyexplained in connection with FIGS. l-3.

The subject 43 continues the foregoing tests by further trying to reach,grasp and actuate, with his left arm and hand as seen in FIG. 5a, thesame nine control knobs in each of four angular positions of adjustmentof the knob-mounted member 33, which positions are again indicatedrespectively as being position Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4. The first threeleft-arm positions are, as in the case of the right-arm, respectivelyoriented at 90, 60 and 34 to the left of center. The fourth, left-armposition, which is the cross-over position is at a 30 angle to the rightof center. It is noted that, whereas five positions were utilized forthe right-arm, only four positions were tested with the left arm, sincethe center or 0 position (position No. 4 in FIG. 5) may be utilized foreither the right or left arm. In this instance, the right arm was chosenfor the purpose of this series of tests.

The same sequence of test procedure outlined above may then be continuedon each of the 17 subjects, again with the lightweight flight coverallsbeing worn, but, this time with the shoulder harness in its lockedcondition. Finally, identicaltests were conducted with each subjectwearing a full-pressure suit worn both while uninflated and inflatedand, once more, with the shoulder harness in both unlocked and lockedconditions. In the first series of tests, with the subject wearing thelightweight flight coveralls and with his shoulder harness unlocked, atleast 16 out of the 17 subjects successfully manipulated and, therefore,a design criteria was established for each of the right-arm positionsNos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and for all nine rotary knobs in each of thesepositions, except for control knob 9, the uppermost knob, when theknob-mounted member 33 was rotated to position Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4. Inposition No. 5, all except control knobs 8 and were successfullyoperated and a design criteria established therefor. A representativeexample of the type of design criteria found during the first series oftests, and which offers extremely valuable data to the design engineer,is as follows:

To manipulate with the RIGHT hand a rotary knob located 90 to the rightof center and 6" above the deck the knob must be placed no further than34" from the XSRP.

' For the left arm positions tested, a favorable design criteria wasdetermined for all of position Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4, except for controlknobs 8 and 9 at positions Nos. 1, 3 and 4; control knob 9 at positionNo. 4; and, finally, control knobs 6 and 7 at position No. 4 (See FIG.a). As noted hereinbefore, no design criteria is recommended for thepositioning of any controls at any position where at least two of the 17subjects tested failed to reach, grasp and manipulate the pertinentcontrol knob involved.

A final series of tests involving the present test apparatus wasconcerned with each of the subjects under test wearing the full-pressuresuit, as noted hereinbefore, that included the helmet, full-pressuregloves and accessary equipment, again, consisting of an underarm lifepreserver, and a back-type parachute harness. This series of tests wererun with, initially, the full-pressure suit uninflated and the shoulderharness unlocked. Thereafter, several other series of tests wereconducted with the shoulder harness locked and then with thefull-pressure suit inflated to a pressure of 3.5 psig, both with theshoulder harness unlocked and locked. The same sequence of reachprocedure was followed, as described hereinbefore. As might be expected,the arm reach capabilities with wearing of the more cumbersomefull-pressure suit produced a design criteria that was somewhat reducedover that of the subject wearing the lightweight flight coveralls. Forexample, while in the position No. l of FIG. 5, a design criteria wasestablished which permitted the placement of a control, at a heightabove the deck of 6 inches, a distance from the XSRP of no further than34 inches, for a pilot wearing lightweight flight coveralls. In the sameequivalent position No. 1, while wearing the fullpressure suit,uninflated and with shoulder harness unlocked, this distance was reducedto 28 inches. This difference in the arm reach capabilities between therelatively unencumbered, lightweight flight coveralls and the relativelybulky, full-pressure suit is particularly emphasized at both the lowerand upper positioned control knobs and becomes less noticeable at themiddle-positioned control knobs. On the other hand, with thefull-pressure suit inflated, the considerable additional restrictivemovement inherent therein becomes fairly noticeable from the testresults showing for example, that 12 out of 17 subjects failed to reach,grasp and actuate control knob l, which, as previously noted, is thelowermost knob at a 6 inch height above the deck plate 14, while thesaid knob was rotated to a angle to the right of center. This conditionprevailed, whether or not the shoulder harness was locked or-unlocked,and, of course, no design criteria could be recommended therefor. Asimilar situation existed for every control knob, including controlknobs 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, at the above-referred to 90 right of centerposition No. I and, therefore, it is obvious that no control could berecommended to be placed at this position for pilots wearing thefull-pressure suit inflated, whether with or without shoulder harness inlocked condition. It is noted that no values were recorded for controlknobs 7, 8 and 9 at the R90 position No. 1.

At the right-arm position Nos. 2 and 3, i.e., at 60 and 30 to the rightof center, again, for the inflated full-pressure suit, no designcriteria was established for either control knob 1 or 2, either with theshoulder harness being in locked or unlocked position. A design criteriadid prevail for control knobs 3, 4 and 5 at these R60 and R30 positionsNos. 2 and 3. At control knob 6, no design criteria was recommended foreither condition of shoulder harness for both position Nos. 2 and 3, andfinally, at control knob 7 for position No. 2 only, with the shoulderharness unlocked, only two out of 17 test subjects were able to actuatesaid knob.

With the full-pressure suit inflated and the control knob-mounted member33 in position No. 4 (FIG. 5), none of the 17 test subjects were able tomanipulate either control knobs I, 2 or 3, both with shoulder harnessunlocked and locked. On the other hand, all or almost all 17 subjectssuccessfully actuated control knobs 4 and 5 at the 0 center or positionNo. 4. However, practically none of the subjects were able to performthe requisite actuation of control knob 6 at the said position No. 4.The same condition of failure also prevailed for the right arm crossoverposition No. 5 for control knobs I, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Again, for controlknobs 7, 8 and 9, no values were reached.

For the tests of the left arm reach capabilities of each of the 17subjects, while in the inflated full-pressure suit, no recommendationwas made and therefore no design criteria was established for controls1-6, inclusive, while positioned in the left-arm position No. 1. Inaddition, for position No. 2, considerably more than two of the testsubjects failed to actuate either control knobs l or 2, regardless ofwhether or not the shoulder harness was locked. A design criteria wasfound for control knobs 3, 4 and 5, since all 17 subjects weresuccessful in actuating these controls. Again, however, the contrarysituation existed for control knob No. 6 for the L60 or 60 to the leftof center position No. 2 (See FIG. 5a), as well as the control knobs Iand 2 for position No. 3, i.e., at 30 to the left of center. For controlknobs 3, 4 and 5 in the aforesaid left arm-position No. 3, a designcriteria was found for each thereof permitting, for example, a knob tobe placed no further than 25, 25 and 29 inches, respectively, from theXSRP, for the unlocked harness condition, and, again, at 25, 25 and 22inches respectively, for the locked harness condition. For the remainingcontrol knob 6, it was recommended that no control be placed at thislocation. Finally, at the left arm-crossover position No. 4, none of the17 subjects tested were able to manipulate any of the controls beinginvestigated.

Thus, with use of the new and simplified test apparatus of the presentinvention, the achievement of data, such as that given in the aboveexamples, enables the aircraft cockpit-design engineer to more quicklyand reliably determine the proper location of aircraft and instrumentcontrols. In this regard, although the foregoing description has beenmade in specific connection with the pilot work place, the dataobtainable by use of the present apparatus is equally applicable to, anduseful for the layout of navigator, electronic warfare officer, and/orall work places to be occupied by a similarly encumbered aircrewmanduring flight.

We claim:

1. In a test apparatus for determining the arin reach capabilities of apilot or other aircrew member to actuate various instrument and aircraftcontrols; an aircraft cockpit-type seat for supporting in strapped andharnessed relation therewithin each of a plurality of test subjectsselected from a representative group of standard aircrew sizes; mainsupport means comprising a base member-deck plate portion representingthe aircraft cockpit-floor, a substantially upright frame support meansportion supported on, and by said deck plate portion and mounting saidseat at a predetermined height above the deck plate, and an overheadsupport means portion extending horizontally and in overlapping relationover and forwardly of, the seated test subject; and vertically disposed,rotary control knob-mounted means slidably mounted at its upper endportion to said overhead support means portion and extending independing relation therefrom to a position in, and forwardly of, thefrontal plane of the test subject, said knob-mounted means being furtheradjustable to various angular positions in the said frontal plane to theright and left of the center line or 0 position.

2. In a test apparatus as in claim 1, said aircraft cockpit-seat havingadjustment means interconnected therewith for thereby positioning saidseat at a predetermined height above the deck plate portion cor- Ill Ihead support means portion comprises a first, indirect,

knob-mounted means-support member affixed to said substantially uprightframe support means portion, and a second, direct, knob-mountedmeans-support member adjustabl positioned to said first-named, supportmember and, urther being directly interconnected with one end of saidknob-mounted means.

5. In a test apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said overhead supportmeans portion further comprises a rotatably mounted element directlysupported to said first support member and interconnected with, andadjustably supporting said second support member in fixed relationthereto.

6. In a test apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said rotatably mountedelement comprises a turn-table supported on the top surface of saidfirst support member, and adjustable in relative rotation to preselectedpositions thereon to thereby adjust the said knob-mounted meanssupported thereby to various angular positions.

7. In a test apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said vertically disposedand knob-mounted means comprises a first, relatively elongated,knob-mounted member supported by said second support member of saidoverhead support means portion, and having a plurality of rotary controlknobs vertically disposed thereon at successively higher andpredetermined heights above the deck plate portion.

8. In a test apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said knob-mounted meansfurther comprises a second, auxiliary and relatively short, dependingknob-mounted member slidably mounted to the first support member of saidoverhead support means portion at a location substantially directly overthe seated test subject to thereby provide for the testing of the armreach capabilities regarding control knobs positioned substantiallydirectly overhead in the aircraft-cockpit.

9 In a test apparatus as in claim 8, said relatively short, knob-mountedmember incorporating at least one rotary control knob adapted to beadjustably mounted in a plurality of vertically oriented and preselectedpositions varying in height above the deck plate portion.

1. In a test apparatus for determining the arm reach capabilities of apilot or other aircrew member to actuate various instrument and aircraftcontrols; an aircraft cockpittype seat for supporting in strapped andharnessed relation therewithin each of a plurality of test subjectsselected from a representative group of standard aircrew sizes; mainsupport means comprising a base member-deck plate portion representingthe aircraft cockpit-floor, a substantially upright frame support meansportion supported on, and by said deck plate portion and mounting saidseat at a predetermined height above the deck plate, and an overheadsupport means portion extending horizontally and in overlapping relationover and forwardly of, the seated test subject; and vertically disposed,rotary control knob-mounted means slidably mounted at its upper endportion to said overhead support means portion and extending independing relation therefrom to a position in, and forwardly of, thefrontal plane of the test subject, said knob-mounted means being furtheradjustable to various angular positions in the said frontal plane to theright and left of the center line or 0* position.
 2. In a test apparatusas in claim 1, said aircraft cockpit-seat having adjustment meansinterconnected therewith for thereby positioning said seat at apredetermined height above the deck plate portion corresponding to astanDard eye-height level above said deck plate portion for the specificsubject under test.
 3. In a test apparatus as in claim 2, and aneye-height-adjustment lever fixed at the standard eye-height level andoperably associated with said main support means for movement between aninoperative position and an operative, eye-height-measuring positionadjacent to the seated test subject.
 4. In a test apparatus as in claim1, wherein said overhead support means portion comprises a first,indirect, knob-mounted means-support member affixed to saidsubstantially upright frame support means portion, and a second, direct,knob-mounted means-support member adjustably positioned to saidfirst-named, support member and further being directly interconnectedwith one end of said knob-mounted means.
 5. In a test apparatus as inclaim 4, wherein said overhead support means portion further comprises arotatably mounted element directly supported to said first supportmember and interconnected with, and adjustably supporting said secondsupport member in fixed relation thereto.
 6. In a test apparatus as inclaim 5, wherein said rotatably mounted element comprises a turn-tablesupported on the top surface of said first support member, andadjustable in relative rotation to preselected positions thereon tothereby adjust the said knob-mounted means supported thereby to variousangular positions.
 7. In a test apparatus as in claim 6, wherein saidvertically disposed and knob-mounted means comprises a first, relativelyelongated, knob-mounted member supported by said second support memberof said overhead support means portion, and having a plurality of rotarycontrol knobs vertically disposed thereon at successively higher andpredetermined heights above the deck plate portion.
 8. In a testapparatus as in claim 7, wherein said knob-mounted means furthercomprises a second, auxiliary and relatively short, dependingknob-mounted member slidably mounted to the first support member of saidoverhead support means portion at a location substantially directly overthe seated test subject to thereby provide for the testing of the armreach capabilities regarding control knobs positioned substantiallydirectly overhead in the aircraft-cockpit.
 9. In a test apparatus as inclaim 8, said relatively short, knob-mounted member incorporating atleast one rotary control knob adapted to be adjustably mounted in aplurality of vertically oriented and preselected positions varying inheight above the deck plate portion.